Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has vetoed a bill that would have allowed some nonviolent inmates to receive commercial driver’s licence (CDL) training before leaving prison.
The proposal had passed both chambers of the Florida Legislature without a single opposing vote, but DeSantis argued that putting the programme into practice would place too much pressure on the state’s correctional system.
In his veto message, the governor said the initiative would require additional prison staff to supervise inmates during training sessions and raised concerns about allowing incarcerated individuals to operate commercial vehicles on public roads.
Under the legislation, only nonviolent prisoners who were either close to their scheduled release or had two years or less remaining on their sentence would have been eligible to participate. Applicants would also have needed to demonstrate English proficiency before enrolling.
The CDL programme formed part of a broader vocational training bill aimed at helping inmates develop practical job skills before re-entering society. The proposal would have allowed the state’s Correctional Education Program to partner with colleges, school districts and other training providers to deliver the courses.
The bill also included strict supervision requirements. Any inmate driving a training vehicle would have been required to do so in a state-owned vehicle with at least one corrections officer present at all times.
Supporters viewed the programme as a way to help address ongoing truck driver shortages while improving employment opportunities for people leaving prison. However, with the governor’s veto, the CDL training initiative will not move forward under the current legislation.
